Suction-cleaner



J. B. KIRBY. SUCTION CLEANER. APPLICATION FIL'ED JULY 12,1917.

Patented July 20, 1920.

UNITED STATES JAMES B. KIRBY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 ELECTRICVACUUM CLEANER PATENT OFFICE.

COMPANY, INC., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

soc'rron-onnmnn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filed July 9, 1915,. Serial No. 38,862. Divided andthis application filed July 12,

' 1917. Serial No. 180,057.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES B. KIRBY, a citizen of the United Statesresiding at Cleveland in the county of duyahoga and State of (lhio, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Suction-Cleaners, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to suction cleaners of the portable type whereinan electrically operated suction device having a collecting nozzlecarried rigidly thereby is moved around over the floor or other surfaceto be cleaned so as to suck the dust and dirt there from and eject itinto a bag or other separator which retains the dirt and allows theescape of theair. Experience shows that different floor coverings arebest cleaned with the suction nozzle arran ed at varying heights; alsothat lint, threa s, dressmakers scraps,

and certain other material can be dislodged only by means of some movingtype of brush or agitating device. Accordingly the objects of thisinvention are the provision of a new and improved elevation adjuster;the provision of a new and improved construction and arrangement of thenozzle and brush chamber; the provision of a new and improved means foroperating the brush; the provision of means whereby the brush can beoperated by the traction of the supporting wheels without impeding thevertical adjustment of the cleaner by the movement of the same wheels;while further objects and advantages will appear as the descriptionproceeds.

This a plication is a division of my former application filed July 9,1915, Serial No. 38,862. One embodiment of my said invention isillustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of thisapplication, although it will be und-=-..;tood that the same constitutesonly one out of numberless operative constructlons in which my inventionmay be utilized. In these drawings Figure 1 represents a side elevationof my improved cleaner, the nozzle being illustrated in longitudinalsection; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the nozzle and fan chamber shownin Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the portion of the machineshown I slightly higher level than the lip acters, 1 represents the fanchamber, consisting of a hollow cylindrical shell having a central axialinlet 2 in one face and having a motor casing 3 secured to its oppositeface; Projecting forwardly and downwardly from the forward face of thefan casing is the collecting nozzle 4 terminating at its lower end in apair of spaced parallel lips 5, 6 defining between them the elongatedsuction slot or inlet mouth '7. Viewed from above said nozzle is ofgenerall triangular or fan shape as shown in Fig. 2, being of itsgreatest breadth at the mouth 7, which therefore runs transversely ofthe machine, and becoming narrower as it progresses rearwardly until itreaches the neck 8 whereby it is joined to the fan casing 1.

The rearward portion of the machine is supported by means of a suitableroller or caster 10 secured to the motor shell, while theforward end ofthe same is supported upon rollers 11, 11 secured rigidly to the ends ofa shaft 12 which is journaled in a movable frame 13 hinged to the fancasing at 14. Rigidly connected to the frame 13 is a lever 15 whichprojects'upwardly past one side of the neck 8 and engages notches 16 insaid neck whereby the frame 13 is held in adjusted position. The lever15 is made slightly flexible or resilient so as to permit it to besprung from one notch to the next.

The lips 5 and 6 are parallel to the shaft the lip 5 lying close to andslightly above the horizontal plane which is tangent tov the bottom ofthe wheels 10 and 11 when the nozzle is in its lowest position as shownin Fig. 1. It is merely necessary that this lip do not fall beneath thatplane otherwise 1t would scrape upon the floor; it is obvious thatadjustment of the lever 15 in a forward direction will elevate thenozzle abovethe location shown. The lip 6 is disposed at a 5 so asalways to leave a narrow opening therebeneath, and at the rear of thelip 6 is a depending wall 20 parallel to both lips and extending fromone side of the nozzle to the other so as to define an elongated brushtion is delivered to a porous bag 36 secured chamber. The ends of thewall 20 are joined to the corresponding ends of the lips 5, 6, by meansof end walls 21, 21.

The chamber defined between the wall 20 and lip 6 constitutes a brushchamber and in this space 25 I mounta rotatable brush 26, its ends beingjournaled in bearings 27, 27 of the usual or any suitable type. At somepoint between these bearings, preferably at the center of the brush Iprovide a belt pulley 28 connected by means of a crossed belt 29 with'abelt pulley 30 carried by the shaft 12. The belt 29 is preferablylongitudinallyelastic such as a coil spring (although I do not limitmyself to thismaterial, since rubber and leather are also elas tie), andpasses through an .aperture 31 formed in the wall 20. This crossing ofthe belt, in addition to the advantages of giving a more perfect holdupon the wheels and of rotating the brush 26 against the motion of thesweeper, permits the aperture 31 to be made of a minimum size, thediameters of the pulleys 28 and 30 and the location of the wall 20 beingso chosen that the two sides of the belt cross at or near the plane ofthis opening. I

The casing is moved about the floor by means of a suitable handle 35pivoted thereto upon a transverse axis 36 parallel to the shaft 12, andthe dust removed by the sucto the outlet neck 37 which projects from theside of the fan chamber 1. The collecting nozzle and brush chamber areelevated slightly above the floor level under all conditions ofoperation, the effect of the suction being to elevate the carpet orfloor covering into contact with the lip 5 and brush 26. Verticaladjustment of this nozzle and brush chamber is permitted withoutimpeding the operation of the belt owing to the fact that the shaft 12in all positions of adjustment lies approximately upon the straight linejoining the axes of the pivot 14 and brush 26, so that the vertical adjustment of the wheels 11 is accompanied by a minimum change in thedistance between the wheels and brush. The elevation of the carpet bythe suction causes some air to penetrate the fabric and to prevent thelodgment of dirt therein; additional air enters the brush chamberthrough the aperture 31 and passes along the top of the carpet andunderneath the lip 6 which is at such a height as never to come incontact with the fabric. The relation of the brush to this air slotprevents refuse from being drawn into the brush body and entangled withthe bristles thereof, but rather tends to make the brush self-cleaning,the particles displaced by the brushing being caught in the rapid rushof air beneath this lip and so swept without stopping directly into the,collecting nozzle. The vertical adjustment at the front of the machinerather to the floor. The matters of detail which I' have described arenot invariable but large changes may be made in the construction,arrangement and design of parts, wherefore I do not limit myself to thedetails here set forth except as the same are recited in the claimshereto annexed or.rendered necessary by the prior state of the. art.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. In a suctioncleaner, a collecting nozzle having a narrow, elongated,downwardlyfacing suction mouth, transversely arranged, a rotatableagitating device journaled to said nozzle parallel to said suction mouthand in operative relation therewith, a bracket pivoted to said casingupon an axis parallel to said agitating device, a rotatable shaftjournaled to said bracket upon an axis parallel with such pivot,movement-transmitting mechanism operatively connecting said shaft andagitating device, and means for adjusting said bracket angularly aboutits pivot, said agitating device, bracket pivot, and shaft being substantially in the same plane.

2. In a suction cleaner, a collecting nozzle having a narrow elongateddownwardlyfacing suction mouth transversely arranged, a rotatableagitating device journaled to said nozzle parallel to said suction mouthand in operative relation therewith, a pair of traction rollers locatedone at each side of said casing with their axes substantially parallelto said agitating device, said rollers being located rearwardly from andoutside of said nozzle, a pulley rotatable with said rollers, a beltembracing said pulley and connected with said agitating device, andmeans for adjusting said rollers transversely of the direction of saidbelt, whereby said nozzle can be raised or lowered.

3. In a suction cleaner, a casing having a fan chamber and a suctionnozzle, said nozzle having a narrow, elongated, downwardly-facingsuction mouth, transversely arranged, .a rotatable agitating devicejournaled beside said suction mouth, a de ending wall located on theopposite side 0 said brush from said mouth and coiiperating with thenearer lip of said suction mouth to form a brush chamber, supportingrollers arranged one at each side of said casing between said mouth and'fan chamber and having their axes in alinement with each other andparallel to said agitating device, floor engaging supporting meanscarriedby said casing upon the opposite side of said rollers from saidsuction mouth, a pulley rotatable with said rollers, a second pulleyrotatable necting said pulleys,

with said agitating device, and a belt conthe wall of said nozzle beingdiscontinuous for the passage'of said belt and the nearer lip of saidsuction mouth being elevated above the "farther lip so as to givecommunication between the brush chamber and suction mouth.'

4. In a suction cleaner, a casing having a fan chamber and a suctionnozzle, said nozzle having a narrow elongated, downwardlyfacing suctionmouth, transversely arranged, and a brush chamber adjacent to saidsuction mouth, a rotatable agitating device journaled inside said brushchamber, a pair of supporting rollers arranged one at each side of saidcasin between said mouth and fan chamber and having their axes inalinement With each other and parallel to said agitating device, apulley rotatable with said rollers, a second pulley carried by saidagitating device inside said brush chamber and a crossed belt connectingsaid pulleys, the

' wall of said nozzle being apertured for the passage of said belt andthe sizes and positions of said pulleys being so chosen that said beltcrosses substantially at such aperture.

5. In a suction cleaner, a casing having a fan chamber and a suctionnozzle, said nozzle having a narrow elongated downwardl facing suctionmouth transversely arrange a rotatable agitating device journaled tosaid nozzle upon an axis parallel to said suction mouth and in operativerelation therewith, a supporting frame hinged to said casing upon atransverse axis parallel to said suction mouth, a pair of supportingrollers journaled to said frame one at each side of said casing betweensaid mouth and fan chamber and having their axes in alinement andparallel to said agitating device, pulleys rotatable with said rollersand agitating device respectively, a belt connecting said pulleys andmeans for adjusting said frame angularly about its hinge axis wherebysaid nozzle can be raised and lowered relatively to the floor, saidhinge, and pulleys lying approximately in a straight line when saidrollers are in their mid position of adjustment. a

6. In a suction cleaner, a casing having a fan chamber and a collectingnozzle carried thereby, said nozzle having a downwardly facing elongatedsuction mouth spaced from said casing, and a brush chamber adjacent tosaid suction mouth, the plane of the edges of said suction mouth beingparallel to the axis of said fan chamber and its maximum dimension beingtransverse to the axis of said fan chamber, a rotatable agitating devicejournaled inside said brush chamber, a bracket hinged to said casin at apoint between said fan chamber an suction mouth, a rotatable shaftjournaled in said bracket, traction wheels secured to said shaft, one ateacli side of said casing, pulleys carried by said shaft and saidagitating device, a belt connecting said pulleys, the wall of said brushchamber being apertured for the passage of said belt, and means forsecuring said bracket in a plurality of adjusted positions about itshinge, the mean position of said shaft being substantially in the planedefined by said bracket hinge and agitating device.

7 In a device of the character described,

"a casing having afloor tool formed with a brush chamber, a rotatableagitating device therein, suction devices connected to said tool, apulley carried by said agitating device, a driving pulley carried bysaid casing outside of said tool, means for rotating said last pulley,and a crossed belt connecting said pulleys, the wall of said tool beingapertured for the passage of said belt and the sizes and positions ofsaid pulleys being so chosen that said belt crosses substantially atsaid aperture.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

JAMES B. KIBBY.

